


A craftknight's path, swords and Sugar

by Danielwain



Category: Summon Night (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Romance, Yuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-12-13
Packaged: 2017-12-31 11:52:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danielwain/pseuds/Danielwain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A long story about a romance between Pratty and Sugar from Summon Night Swordcraft Story. It will contain yuri later on, the graphic kind, though nothing really explicit is in it so far. Reviews about the story would be appreciated. It's basically a retelling, it will contain all the scenes from the original game and additional ones. Well, enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Pratty's POV, her room**  
...  
"...may..."   
"Zzzz..." Huh? There is a voice...  
"...up..."  
"Zzzz" ... It says something... Make up? With who?  
"Are you listening to me!? WAKE UP!"  
"Zzzz" ...Why is mother yelling about makeup? She continues to yell...  
"I've tried to get you out of the bed **SEVEN** times this morning! Are you going for a new record!? The opening ceremony is today! Remember!? Now get DOWN here!" The opening ceremony of the tournament that will determine the next craftlord...  
"That's today? Uh-oh... I have to get ready... in a couple of hours..." I think aloud.  
"You mean a couple of seconds-- What's that? Ahhh!" the voice of my mother screams...  
What happened!?   
"Oh! What was that!? Are you alright, mother!?" I scream while rushing out of my bed and down the stairs.Luckily I am already dressed in my red shirt over which I wear my leather armor with my leather helm. I was just taking a nap since I got up too early because I was so excited about today, and now mother was suddenly screaming! As I reach the last steps of the stairs I stop my rush. Mother is standing in front of her room, but nothing seems to be out of the ordinary...  
"Mother! Are you okay?" I ask her, but she doesn't answer. After some seconds passed I calm down and try it again. "...Hello?"   
"What are you talking about?"  
"Huh!? It wasn't you that screamed?" That's all I manage to say...  
"Of course it was! I just wanted to make sure you were awake." ...wait, did she just say that she pretended to be in danger so that I would rush down the stairs? Yet she is standing there with an innocent smile, as if she had done nothing wrong at all!  
"Don't DO that! I thought you were hurt, or wor-- AAAAHH!" I missed one of the stairs and fall flat on my face. That hurt, damnit!   
"Well, that's an interesting way to come down the stairs, isn't it?" My mother sounds quite worried, but she still manages to crack a joke...   
"I tink my node id bwoken..." I meant to say 'I think I broke my nose', but this is what I ended up saying because of the pain as I rise up.  
"That looked like it hurt! Are you alright?" mother says, this time she seems to be sincerely worried. At times she is a little overprotective, but she's really nice. I feel slightly embarassed about my display of clumsiness and quickly try to blame someone else for it.   
"Are you kidding!? Of course not! Who put those there!?"   
"I'm guessing it was the carpenters who built the house." ...and I fail miserably.  
"Well, yes, but..." I want to try it once more, but mother stops me in midsentence.  
"How could you forget where the stairs are in your own house!? Are you trying to make me worry about you!? Because it's working!" Now she seems rather angry...   
"Of course I didn't forget! I'm fine!" I smile and try to calm her down.  
"I'm not so sure. Do you know where you are? What's your name?" What kind of a question is this!? She is a bit overprotective, but this is too much, even for her! She must be joking, right?   
"...You're kidding, right?" I force a smile, but she seems to get angry again...  
"No, I'm not kidding. I'm making sure you're alright. Now tell me your name!" I should definitely not aggravate her any further...  
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you! My name is Pratty! As if I could forget that!" Mother still doesn't seem to be satisfied...  
"Next question! What is your job?" Why is mother asking me such absurd questions? One little accident and she fears the worst! Well, I don't even have to think about these questions anyway.  
"I work for a craftknight, mother!"  
"And what do you do for this craftknight?" It's nice to have a mother who cares for you, but sometimes I almost wish she'd care a little less...  
"I'm his apprentice."  
"And what does this craftknight do?"  
"He forges metal into weapons, and he teaches me how to do it, too. Satisfied yet?" Please, be satisfied!  
"No, not yet. What's MY name?" Yet another strange question...  
"That's easy. Amariss." Suddenly, she seems to be really angry.  
"What!? That's not my name!" If I wouldn't know for sure that her name is Amariss, I would have been quite scared just now...  
"Stop fooling around!"  
"I'm just kidding. You're fine." Finally...  
"Of course I am!"  
"It sounded like an earthquake when you fell down the stairs. I thought the house was about to collapse!" ...like an earhquake? Is mother trying to say I'm fat!? It wouldn't be the first time... "Anyway, don't you remember what's happening today?"   
"Of course I do! Today is the opening ceremony of the tournament that determines the new craftlord! The craftlord becomes a knight of Wystern, the legendary City of Swords and is given the honored task of guarding Parista, the sacred spirit of the holy sword. I never thought I would be chosen to participate in the tournamet. It almost feels like a dream... But I intend to win the tournament, just like father did!"   
I am not doing this for my father, I am doing this for myself. To be honest, I have enough of being compared to my father. He was a great person, but I don't want to live my whole life in his shadow nor do I want to rest on his laurels. I want to make something new, something I have done myself. I will try to win the tournament to do just that. It won't be easy, but I will try my best! Come to think of it... "But I'll never win if I don't leave right now!"  
I was ready to leave, but mother stopped me. "Hold on! Here... take this with you." She gives me a strange little pendant with a red gem in the center.  
"What's this? A good-luck charm? It looks kind of old."  
"That is your father's lucky charm. I made it to protect him." I think I remember seeing him wearing it around his neck when I was smaller. I can't recall a single memory of him without it. But he wasn't home that often because of his work...  
"You did?" Mother's expression suddenly changed from her cheerful smile to a dark expression of sadness.  
"He took it with him weherever he went. Until one day... three years ago..." Now I feel a little down myself... I can still remember that day. Father was a great Craftlord, so we were never that worried about him. But on that day, three years ago, some soldiers, friends of my father, came to our house and told mother something. She cried for hours... Eventually she told me that father died. I didn't believe it, not at all. I used to think that father was invincible, the thought that he could die never even crossed my mind...   
But it turned out I was wrong. He never returned and we attended his funeral. I can still remember staring at his headstone in disbelieve, but his name, Shintetsu, was written there, no mistake about it. Eventually I accepted it and mother slowly returned to her old cheerful self, probably more for me than for herself. But fathers death is still a topic we try to avoid. If mother brings it up by accident there is usually this awkward silence, just like now, and she mumbles somethingto herself.  
"Perhaps he left it here on purpose."  
"Mother?" How should he leave it on purpose...? His death was attributed to some unknown disease or poison, he couldn't have known about that, if even the doctors didn't know, right...?  
"Your training is about to become much more difficult, and you have many arduous battles ahead of you. This charm will help you. Your father was never injured when he carried it with him." Somehow she was always able to cheer us up again in a matter of seconds.   
"Thank you, mother. I'll take good care of it." I put the pendant around my neck and smile at my mother.  
"You'd better go. You don't want to miss it! Good luck..."  
"You can count on me!"  
...  
After this conversation I went upstairs to get my entrance ticket which I need to get into the Central Tower and quickly rushed out of the house. Luckily mother called me back and reminded me of my water scooter which I almost forgot. I had never been to the Central Tower before and wondered what it looks like. Now I'm standing right in front of it.   
"The Central Tower! I'm starting to get nervous..." Suddenly a familiar voice calls out to me.  
"Pratty! What're ya doin'? Why're ya just standin' there!? Yer gonna be late!" Oh, it's Master Bron. He is a big and strong man, usually wearing his white shirt and his overalls, made out of leather. On his head he wears his bandana and his pair of protective goggles. His skin is quite tanned and his dark brown beard encircles his face. He always reminds me of a bear, for some reason...   
"Hello, master! Good morning!" He is grinning at me as he always does, a bit daring, more like a senior apprentice than a master.   
"Yer cuttin' it a little too close, aren't ya?" He also has a bit of an accent.   
"Don't worry! I still have time!" His expression seems rather annoyed after my last sentence.   
"Sounds just like somethin' yer father woulda said. Why not try bein' more like yer mother?" It seems like I am very much alike to my father when he was younger, but it still annoys me a little bit that everyone seems to mention it... Master Bron usually just sees his negative attitudes in me, even more of a reason for me to dislike these comparisons...  
"What're you talking about!?"  
"He was always runnin' late, and always makin' excuses for it, just like a woman..." Now he just dug his own grave. In this situation I couldn't wish for a better mother than Amariss.  
"Hey, that's sexist!" I couldn't help but grinning a little bit. "I think I should tell mother of your poor attitude towards the female gender." These words are enough to make the great Bron turn pale in an instant.  
"Now why would ya go an' do somethin' cruel like that!?" Master Bron does obviously like my mother. But he always acts different when he is around her or talks about her, so I doubt that he will ever make any progress in that regard...  
"Just kidding, master! Not that you and mother get along very well anyway." Now he seems rather down.  
"Do ya really think so?"   
"Yes." I reply in an instant, without even blinking or thinking about it. It is so much fun teasing him with a straight face, but it is true.  
"Thank ya for yer honesty, however depressin' it is... Well, I'm headin' back to the Silver Guild. Come an' find me there after the opening ceremony. And ya better win the tournament, b'cause I don't work with second-class apprentices!" Second-class apprentices? Master Bron isn't exactly filling me with confidence... Anyway, I'll head to the Silver Guild right after the ceremony. I've been there so much lately, it almost feels like my second home! Well, I have to get going.   
A few people that I know passed by and cheered for me, but I had no time for this. As I continue towards Central Tower a strange and elegant woman meets my eyes. I think that she is very beautiful, but she also appears to be very strong. Against all likelihood this strange woman greets me.   
"Hello..." She is playing with her long black hair and seems to examine me with her light brown eyes. Her dress is hard to describe, but it seems elegant and suited for practical tasks at the same time.  
"Hello!" Wow... She's beautiful!  
"You're excited, aren't you?"  
"Huh?" I am rather surprised, but she is right. Her smile now seems rather challenging...  
"Heh heh..."  
"What?" I decide to continue to Central Tower, seeing how this conservation doesn't seem to lead anywhere. Besides, I'm really cutting it a little close....  
Central Tower really is impressive. I've never seen anything else of this height and it seems like a miracle that it doesn't collapse with all these platforms and the buildings on the higher floors, it's basically the pillar of Wystern. It really is an architectural masterpiece and I could stare at it all day, but I have to hurry...  
The inside of the tower is also very impressive. It looks rather simple, the floor is made out of metal and a blue carpet is spread across it. One of the guards tells me that the opening ceremony takes place on the second floor, so I thank him and run up the stairs. It looks just like the first floor, but the crest of Wystern is placed in the middle of the room.   
I want to walk directly into the crowded hall, but one of the guards stops me. "Entrance ticket, please." I quietly give him the ticket and he examines it carefully. "You're Pratty, yes? The opening ceremony is taking place in this hall. Enter, please."  
I quietly walk into the hall and try not to attract any attention. It must be as mother says, I have a lot of luck to make up for my lack in punctuality. The ceremony hasn't begun yet and I mix with the other participants. It is a little bit off-putting to see just how many people there are... Will I really be able to win? And there are so many voices.  
"The Central Tower is the castle of the craftlords."  
"Darn... we can't go to the third level yet."  
"I wonder if I will be able to win." It's also confusing just how many people are talking at the same time, it's almost impossible to focus on anything.   
I try to strike up a conversation with the red-haired girl in front of me to distract myself from all the noice. "Hey, what do you think about the tournament?" She turns around and glares at me.  
"What? What do you want?" She seems rather impolite and unfriendly and turns around again.One of my neighbors talks to me instead."Hey, you! Who's your guardian beast?" My guardian beast? Isn't it rare for apprentices to have one? They are summoned into our world by a summoner and usually help a craftknight in the forge and support him with their magic in combat.  
"I haven't got one yet."  
"Everyone in the tournament will use a weapon that was made with the help of a guardian beast. You'll never survive if you don't have a guardian beast of your own!" Weapons are of much better quality when forged with the help of a guardian beast, the newer forges even require the assistance of a guardian beast because most humans can't use magic very well. Though I wouldn't be so sure about needing a guardian beast and I want to tell him that it is more about your skills and experience, but just in that moment an officer speaks up.   
"Welcome to the opening ceremony of the craftlord tournament!" Well, this is it! I'm getting nervous... "Lubert, the Craftlord of Amber... Ureksa, the Craftlord of Jade... And Sakuro, the Craftlord of Sapphire. These masters have deigned to address to you, and you would be wise to heed their words."  
The one called Master Lubert looks rather... cunning. He seems unfriendly and arrogant, but maybe it's just me? Master Ureksa has a rather mysterious aura around him and I can't really say that I can interpret much from his facial expression either. Master Sakuro looks rather friendly, but strict at the same time.  
Master Lubert is the first one to speak up in his scratchy voice. "Welcome, apprentices. Welcome, children of the craftknights who defend the city of swords." Master Ureksa continues with an austere voice. "Today begins the tournament in which the skills you have learned will be tested." And Master Sakuro takes over, with a rather strict tone as well. They must have practised that a lot... "It was three years ago that we lost Shintetsu, our strongest and most respected craftlord."  
Three years... Has it really been three years since he died? I can still see him in front of my inner eye, his hair was a darker shade of grey than mine and he used to look quite friendly. Most of the time he wore his armor and his cloak made of fur. He always worked very hard to protect Wystern, me and mother... I've got to snap out of it and pay attention!   
"And Shintetsu's loss was followed by the disappearance of Tyram, the Craftlord of Crystal. We need to find a replacement for these men, to join the other craftlords of Wystern as guardians and protectors of Parista, the spirit that dwells within the holy sword. A position has been prepared for one of the apprentices in this chamber... And we will determine which of you standing before us is worthy of claiming this position."  
"The majority of you lack the skill to be a worthy apprentice, let alone a craftlord. But all of you possess the gift of youth, and a few of you the potential that comes with it. We must harness that potential to protect Wystern. We must do whatever is needed to fortify the city of swords!" That was Master Lubert. I can't really help it, I just don't like him...  
Another boy on the other side of the room seems to share my opinion and talks loud enough that even I can hear him. "I should think a craftlord would know better than to have such a flawed opinion. How does he explain all the adults in this city who cannot craft a decent weapon?" Who is that, and why is he so full of himself? Doesn't he know how unattractive that is?   
The red-haired girl in front of me speaks up. "The next craftlord should be strong and beautifull... just like me." It is nice that there is another girl in the tournament. I hope that I'll be able to become a friend of hers.  
On the other side of the room a young boy seems to speaks to himself or prolcaim something to the entire audience, though I can barely hear him. "Heh! Look at all these worry-warts! I'm guaranteed to win this tournament!" That kid must be the youngest one in the tournament! I hope he doesn't get hurt... But I need to stop letting my mind wander and start listening to the craftlords! I really am lucky, Master Sakuro has been waiting for all of us to calm down...   
"To test your skills and to see which of you is worthy of becoming a craftlord, you are allowed to fight only with weapons that you have crafted yourself. A battle is won when your opponent yields to you, or when their weapon breaks." That sounds easy enough! I know I can craft a weapon strong enough to see me through! I'll prove to everyone in Wystern that I'm worthy of being the next craftlord.  
"We will allow your masters to aid you in the forging of your weapons. We will also allow you to receive assistance during your battles... But only one partner is allowed to accompany you into combat." A partner? I bet he's referring to a guardian beast. I wonder how many of these people have one...  
"All of you are herby granted passage to the dungeon of the Central Tower. There, you can collect materials with which to craft your weapons. The person who possesses the keys to the dungeon will bring one to each of you later on." The dungeon of the Central Tower leads to the shrine of Parista. I've heard stories of summon creatures that were summoned to protect Parista and no longer listen to their masters...  
"There are many dangers in the dungeon, placed there to insure the safety of the great Parista. These dangers will not be lessened or removed for you. You will have to confront them and overcome them on your own. If you cannot defend yourself, you are not worthy of being in this tournament." At this remark I have to swallow. Naturally he is right, but it was a little bit unsettling to think that there were summon creatures running wild that might even kill you if you aren't cautious...  
"As for who you will fight in each round of the tournament... Your opponent will be announced by the Central Tower before the start of your battle." So we won't know who we're fighting until the last minute? That seems like a strange way to arrange a tournament.  
"You must always remember the craftknight's code. A sword is not strength. A sword is not skill. A sword is not fellowship. Let the code guide your efforts. They will be rewarded. Friendships will be forged in the heat of battle. When your skill is sharpest and your weapon is deadliest, you will be your own master. I sincerely hope that one of you will become our equal, and join us as a craftlord. That is all!"  
With this the ceremony is over and everyone leaves the hall, so I hurry back to my house to tell mother about the ceremony.   
...  
"Oh, Pratty! How was the ceremony?"  
"I was pretty nervous. My heart was pounding the entire time... But I know I can do whatever it takes to win the tournament!" Mother is smiling even brighter than usual.   
"Of course you do. Hee, hee, hee..."  
"Why're you laughing, mother?"  
"I was so worried when you told me that you wanted to become a craftlord. But now I see the strength of your father in you, and I realize I don't have to worry anymore." Well, I prefer it to think it is my own strenght, but if it makes mother happy...  
"Hehe, what else did you expect from the daughter of Shintetsu, the craftlord of iron?"  
"That's true... you were always the type to break boys' noses, not their hearts." Mother always tells me that I am such a tomboy. Idon't really like it, but I guess she's right, to some extend...  
"What!? That's got nothing to do with this! I hear the craftlord of ruby is a beautiful woman!"  
"Perhabs, dear, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder... Anyway, Bron was here just a few minutes ago. Weren't you supposed to meet with him after the ceremony?" I knew I was forgetting something...  
"That's right! He told me to visit him at the silver guild."   
"I feel sorry for Bron. Has there ever been a time when you weren't late to meet him?"  
"I'm going! I'm going!" I run off the house and to the silver guild. I hope that Master Bron isn't mad at me...  
...  
"Ah! There ya are! An' yer late... Again!" So he is mad at me...  
"I'm sorry, master..." Well, in spite of his somewhat scary appearance he is rather forgiving.  
"Yer apology is accepted. Now let's talk about the tournament, eh?" I've never seen Master Bron quite so serious...  
"Answer me this. Do ya have the skill an' the confidence to win this tournament?" Do I have the skill and confidence to win...?  
"Put Your faith in me, master! I can do it! ... I wish I believed those words. But I'm weak, and everyone else in the tournament is so strong..." I am really not very strong or remarkable in any other way. I wonder why I was even chosen to participate in the first place...  
"What're ya talkin' about!? Yer gonna be a craftlord, just like yer father was! Yer the daughter of Shintetsu! A craftlord an' a legend! For his sake, ya gotta do yer best to win this!" My father? It was probably because of him. I don't really think that's a good thing, but if I got this chance, so I won't let it go to waste!  
"You're a great teacher, but I'm still worried... and I won't say I'm alright if I'm not."  
"Yer right to speak the truth. Ya don't need to worry. I'll tell ya everythin' ya need to know to win the tournament!"  
"Is that so, master? But I've never even crafted a weapon on my own! I've only helped you make them." Master Bron sure seems confident...  
"Don't worry so much. You might win this thing yet! Also, ya should remember that I've got other apprentices in the tournament too... And I'm not gonna play favorites with any of ya."  
"Alright, master."   
"Right, then. Follow me to my room. I've got somethin' special for ya!" I follow Master Bron to his room. A man with strange clothes seems to be waiting for us. Could he be...?  
"Is that who I think it is, master?"  
"That's right. He's a summoner. I brought 'im to Wystern for one purpose, and one only. He's gonna summon a guardian beast that'll become yer partner in battle. And I've gotta help 'im get ready."  
"Alright..."  
...  
...  
 **Author's note:** Well, here is the first chapter of our fanfiction for Summon Night Swordcraft Story. We originally posted this on fanfiction.net, but we aren't quite sure if it can stay there because it will have MA content later on. It consisted of two chapters before, but we felt that those were way too short. Well, we hope you enjoyed this chapter, we will probably upload the other chapters pretty soon, though the story is far from over.


	2. Sugar

Pratty's POV, directly after the last chapter  
The preparations are almost done.   
"I'm going to have a guardian beast at my side... I never would have expected this, master. I'm still in shock." I wonder what the guardian beast will be like?   
"Why're ya so surprised? Did ya think ya could win the tournament all by yer self?"  
"No... But I'm not sure that a guardian beast is something I deserve to have. I was taught that only a skilled craftknight should possess a guardian beast." I wonder if I'm even worth it... I'm not sure if I wouldn't just rely too much on that partner and still embarass him...  
"The only way yer gonna win this tournament is if you stop playin' by the rules. Take the guardian beast. Yer gonna need it."  
"Yes, master!"  
"Do what ya came here to do, summoner.""Indeed, Bron. Tell me, child." I'm getting nervous again...  
"Yes, sir?"  
"What do you think about Shintetsu?" What a strange question. How should I answer it? Maybe I want to be more like him, respected by everyone and revered? No, I can't remember that much about him and I want to see what kind of a person he was for myself. And I want to know a lot more about him.  
"I always hear about the respect that was afforded my father, but I know very little about him. I want to learn about what he did and who he was. And I want to be a person as respected and loved as he was."  
"Bron, it seems that Shintetsu's child was raised well."  
"Of course, summoner! This child was raised by Amariss!"  
"The bonds between parents and their children are very special." Very special...?  
"What do you mean?"  
"Yer mother was the best teacher ya could've had. She taught you how to survive an' how to thrive." Hm, I never saw it that way, but I still think that she can be a bit too overprotective.  
"Mother rarely scolded me when I was growing up... but I always paid attention when she did! And boy, was she stict..."  
"Remember that Amariss has had to be both a mother and a father for you. She had to discipline you as Shintetsu woudl have." Does that mean mother only treaded me harsh sometimes because father wasn't there?  
"So... not all mothers threaten their children with spankings?"  
"Only the smart ones. And now it's time to get yer guardian beast!" Master Bron seems rather excited... Well, I can't say I'm not either. But the summoner stops us.   
"Not quite yet, Bron. I have another question. Did you grow up preferring the strictness of Shintetsu, or the kindness of Amariss?" Hm, I don't remember that much about him, but he was rather easy-going and rarely strict. I can't remember a single moment of him scolding me... but I guess he's referring to strictness and kindness in general. I can understand that mother had to be strict, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I would never disrespect my father, but I choose the kindness of my mother." The summoner seems satisfied.  
"All questions are finished. Let us begin the ritual. I need something that is important to you in order to call forth a guardian beast that is bonded with you." I try to think of something as something makes contact with my neck.  
"Ih, I know! The good-luck charm!""That was yer father's charm! How did ya come to have it?" Master Bron has a dark expression and sounds almost accusing. Does he think I stole it...?  
"It was a gift..." Master Bron's expression is still dark, but he seems to be satisfied.  
"Alright. Now take hold of the summonite gem." The summoner gives me a strange green gem  
"Summonite gem? What's that?"  
"The magical stone with which a summon beast is called forth. Focus your thoughts... and wish for a guardian beast to aid you in your battles. Concentrate!" Alright, this is the real deal! I wonder what my summon creature will be like? I heard that there are many different types of them, like mechanoid soldiers or Onis.Well, I will know it in a few seconds.  
"Yes!"  
"Now I will open a portal into the other world using the words and methods of the ancients... Hear me, noble beast! Hear me and submit to my power! And now, shout thy name! Thy master shall be..." A strange glow fills the room and a dazzling white light fills the room.  
"Pratty!" I shout as loud as I can. There is a flash of light and instead of the portal... a strange woman withe even stranger clothes and pink hair is... floating in front us with her back turned towards us.  
"...Is this Wystern?" She asks with a confused, but gentle voice.  
"Who are you?" I ask, walking with Master Bron to each of her sides.  
"Sugar..." Her clothes really are... revealing... For some time there is an awkward silence and her beautiful face lokks worried as she seems to adjust to her new environment. After a while her expression softens and she starts to talk to me.  
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. Please be kind to me." I am a little bit perplexed by her choice of words, but she seems to be a nice person.  
"...Huh? I mean, uh, of course." Master Bron also seems rather surprised as he speaks up.  
"How 'bout that... I didn't expect ya to call forth th' same guardian beast as yer father!" Does Master Bron know her? She seems somewhat familiar, but I can't put my finger on it...  
"Have you seen her before?"  
"Aye. In fact she's... Well, I don't know how to explain it to ya." She seems a little closer to me and smiles while examining me from head to toe and I look away, a little bit embarassed...  
"You're the child of Shintetsu, aren't you?" She comes closer again and seems to blush a little.   
"Good... Very good..." She quickly dashes towards me and closes her eyes. I feel paralyzed for a second, just like the prey must feel before the predator deals the death-blow, though she doesn't have have claws or fangs. What is she-  
♥ Smack♥   
Suddenly there is a soft and warm sensation on my lips.  
Wait... what did... did she just... kiss me!? I panick a little and push her away. I look to the others, but they seem to be just as confused as I am. Afterwards I pinch myself, but it seems this isn't a dream, since I don't wake up...  
"What was THAT for!?" Sugar looks at me a bit confused and Master Bron comes up to us.  
"I think she likes ya..." That is really untactful, especially after... loosing my first...  
"Anyway! Ya got yer guardian beast. Now follow me to the second floor!"   
"That was my first kiss... That was my first kiss! Wait, master! Don't leave!" I whispered the part about my first kiss, but Sugar still looks rather disappointed at my... 'cold reaction'. Is that some kind of casual greeting where she comes from...!? Even if, that was still my first kiss!  
"Are you upset with me?" She does look as if she would regret it, but that's nothing she could ever take back...  
"Of course I am!" Sugar looks a bit startled by my sudden scream. I seriously want to understand what is going on in that head of hers...  
"So, I guess... You don't like me anymore..." Uh-oh! I don't want to upset her. As cruel as that sounds, I still need her for the tournament! Maybe we can solve this problem later.  
"Ha, ha, ha! I was just kidding! Don't worry about it! I, uh, kiss other girls all the time..." I'm no good hand at lying...  
"...Good♥" I can't really tell if she believe me or if she saw right through me and is going to use this against me, but in any event, I should meet my master. Hopefully I'll be save with him around...  
"Now, uh, let's go to my new workshop, alright? Alright! Let's go upstairs now. Master Bron is waiting for us." Sigh...  
"This workshop is for just the two of us! Isn't that romantic?"  
"Yeah! Wait... what?" After this awkward conversation I hurried upstairs, trying to avoid any other form of contact. Master Bron is already waiting for us.  
"Here you are! Only tournament entrants are allowed into the workshops on the second floor. And your workshop is here." He points to the door right behind him.  
"Alright." We enter the room and I take a good look around. There are many different tools that are used to craft weapons and to refine them. It even has a forge, a writing desk and a bed.  
"Wow... this is my workshop!"  
"I hope ya like it... B'cause yer gonna be working here day and night from now on." I should have known there would be a catch...  
"Are you kidding!?"  
"Don't ya wanna win the tournament? Don't ya wanna be a craftlord? Then stop complainin' like a spoiled little brat!" Master Bron does have a point, but isn't that still too much?   
"But... but..."  
"Yer mother agreed that ya should live here durin' the tournament. So the decision's already been made for ya." Apparently there is no way around this...  
"Yes, master."  
"Why are ya so depressed? Yer followin' in yer father's footsteps, just like ya wanted! Ya should be proud, not sad!" I want to walk my own path, but Master Bron is right. If I just lie down in a corner and cry about my misery, I won't be able to move on!  
"Yes, master!" Master Bron's expression changes to a rather childish grin.  
"Now it's the time to teach ya my secret techniques of weapon-forgin'" Master Bron has secret techniques? That does sound interesting...  
"Seriously? Wow!"  
"Except that I don't got the time to teach ya right now, 'cause I'm too busy." Couldn't he just have told me later in this case!?  
"What!? Come on, master! I'm a fast learner!"  
"I'll let ya know when I'm ready to start yer lessons. You can hang around 'til then." There's no helping it, I guess.  
"Alright." Master Bron leaves my new workshop, probably to attend to the business that he mentioned just now. In the very moment he leaves Sugar already stands in front of me.  
"This is where our new life begins, Master Pratty!"  
"Uh-huh." She seems very content with this new situation and smiles gently.  
"I'm very excited! Why don't we go outside? We've got nothing to do here for a while. I'd love to see the ocean..."  
"That's a good idea! After everything that happened today, I need a break." She seems to be easy to please, since she smiles even brighter.  
"Thank you, Master Pratty!"  
"Okay, let's go!"  
"Yes, master." And thus the two of us walk off into the direction of the harbor. For the most part I avoid it to say much, but Sugar sure is eager to learn more about me.  
"Master Pratty, what do you do when you're not training to become a craftlord?"  
"Hm, I train most of the time, one way ot another. Sometimes I go to the sea and swim, that's both relaxing and invigorating."  
"I also like water a lot, Master Pratty. Would you take me with you the next time you go to the ocean to swim?" I hope she won't try anything weird if I take her with me...  
"I guess so. But I won't be able to do that in the coming days, we need to win the tournament before we can think about what we do with our free time."   
"But if you win the tournament, won't you have even less free time, Master Pratty?" Sigh. Well, that might be true, but I will be able to help everyone, if I become a craftlord, right? So it should be alright. Father was still able to visit me and mother once or twice a week, so I think that it shouldn't be too much work.  
"I can help a lot of people if I become a craftlord. And father always came back once or twice a week, didn't he? And eventhough I am quite inexperienced, you will be there and guide me through it, right?" Sugar's face suddenly turned red. Did I say something weird?  
"M-Master Pratty...! Of course, I am sure you will be a great craftlord, eventhough you have no experience with it. I will make sure that you become a great craftlord! I will always be by your side!" Well, I don't know about always, but if she's happy...  
"Hm, Sugar?"  
"Yes, Master Pratty?"  
"Isn't Sugar a... well, a littly bit strange for a name?" I was wondering about that before, but I was still a little too upset with her about the kiss. But she seems to be alright, for the most part.  
"My given name is Sugarette, but Master Shintetsu thought it is a bit too long for his taste and we decided that Sugar would be more fitting. Don't you agree, Master Pratty?" Hm, I think I should talk to her a bit more about father. She used to be his guardian beast, so the only person that would know more about him would be Amariss, but mother always avoids questions regarding him. But we should probably get to know each other before we talk about him, I think that no-one would want to talk about his or her deceased friend with a stranger...  
"Yeah, sure."  
"So Master Pratty thinks that Sugar is sweet, too?" I should really pay more attention to her words and be careful about saying mistakable things in her presence...  
"That isn't exactly what I said, but I... guess so?" Hm, if you could look at this situation from the outside it would probably be rather funny, perhaps even cute. However, I am not, and as a matter of fact Sugar did steal my first kiss. I wanted to save it for that special someone...  
"I'm so glad, Master Pratty." After this awkward moment we remained silent for the rest of the way. After ten minutes we arrived at our destination, the harbor.  
The harbor, lit by the waxing moon really is a unique scene. The water glistens while quietly cleaving against the docks. It almost feels like magic...  
"I haven't been to the harbor for so long. It's beautiful." Sugar seems to wallow in nostalgia as she says so. I notice a ship swaying back and forth. I bet that feels very calming.  
"Hey, look at that ship! Let's go abroad!" Sugar seems rather uncomfortable about it and frowns.  
"Won't we get into trouble for doing that without asking?"  
"Of course not! Now come on!" It didn't take much effort to convince Sugar. And even if we get into trouble, no complaints, no redress. It should be just fine if we don't break anything.  
"It's so nice here..." Sugar smiles quite content.  
"It ist nice..." I yawn loudly and stretch. I guess I am more tired than I thought at first...   
"I'm so tired." Sugar comes a little closer and examines me once more.  
"What's wrong?"  
"...Nothing. I'm just very glad to have met you, Master Pratty." She smiles quite happily and innocently. I guess I can't really be angry with her for a long time...  
"I'm glad I met you, too! I want to be a great craftlord, like father. Will you help me? And why don't you stop calling me Master Pratty?"  
"You don't like that?" It is a little annoying, to be honest. I am by far no master. Yet.  
"No... Just call me Pratty."  
"Well... How about Miss Pratty, Master Pratty?" I think she missed the point...  
"On second thougt, let's stick with 'Master'."  
"Yes, master! By the way, Master Pratty?"  
"Yes?"  
"Please, master... Be kind to me." It is strange that she asks. Isn't that self-evident? I summoned her and asked her for help, after all.  
Of course! Youd don't need to ask about something like that." Her smile just got a lot brighter...  
"I'm so happy now... knowing that my husband will be a kind person!" It is nice when she is so happy and smiles like that... wait, what?!  
"Husband?" I can barely imagine what my face must look like right now.  
"Don't you know? I'm your fiance." Now that's just silly. That wouldn't be possible anyways...  
"Fiance!? Nom I didn't know that! I can't be your fiance!!"  
"Master Shintetsu promised that he would give me his child's hand in marriage." I'll kill that... I would kill that idiot if he was still alive!  
"I can't be your husband! I'm a girl!"  
"Of course you can."   
"Of course I can't!!" Now she blushes a little.  
"I don't mind if you're male or female, as long as you're kind to me."  
"But I do mind!!"  
"Just tell me when you're ready. I can hardly wait!" This will not end well...  
"You'd better get used to waiting."


End file.
